Leaf-spring separator.



F. KNOWLSON.

LEAF SPRING SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED III/W21. 1915.

Patented Nov. 9,' 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IHVEHTOR F. KNowLsoN.

LEAF SPRING SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED HAYZI, 1915.

1,159,958. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

InvEnToR Y .M @www wwgfiof...

FREDERICK KNOWLSON, 0F ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

LEAF-SPRING sErARAToR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 191-5.

Application filed May 21, 1915. Serial N o. 29,467.

T0 ZZ whom t may concern.' y

Beit known that I, FREDERICK KNOWL- soN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Ann Arbor, county of VaShtenaw, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Leaf-Spring Separators, and declare the following to be 4a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. rl`his invention relates to leaf spring separators and comprises a new tool for separating the lleaves ofl automobile springs. This tool is designed to do this work much 'quicker yand easier than tools heretofore brought out for this purpose. It is also a type of tool which can be manufactured very cheaply', which is a big item in the success of leaf spring separators.

A new arrangement of structure to make the separator adaptable for various widths of springs is a feature hereinafter described.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a plan view of the tool. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form. F. ig. 4 is a plan View of a slightly modied form with an adjustable jaw-pin. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line A A of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of a modified form of yoke-end and jaw-piece.

The tool comprises a yoke a which carries at one end a jaw b adapted to be positioned on the farther side of the spring. It is prefd although it will be evident that in the gable to make this jaw with a wedge at its 4 orm of my device shown in Figs. 2 and 5,

l1separation of the leaves could be effected without the j aw driving between .the leave/s at the farther side of the spring. "Ihe other side of the yoke bearsja pivot pin /c upon which swings the lever Z Carrying an eccentric pivoted roller e. I prefer to make this roller in the form of a double cone or what might be termed a double beveled periphery roller, and which I shall refer to in the claims as a roller having a wedge-like periphery. The arm of the lever terminates in a depending stop f adapted to engage against the, yoke. This stop is positioned on the lever so that it only engages with the yoke after the lever has passed beyond a.

-ized that this arrangement position of alinementwith the yoke and the roller and the lever has passed what might be termed the dead center. This is quite an important feature, as it will be readily realprevents the lever being thrown back by the energy stored in the springs.

`lhe employment of the roller, conical or cylindrical, is another important feature of this invention inasmuch as it acts as an antifriction device for the bearing of the lever upon the Vsprings during its swing. In the form shown in Figs. and 5 it not only acts as an anti-friction device but it. actually serves to separate the springs by its wedging periphery engaging between the leaves. As already pointed out, in this form it would not be absolutely essential to have a wedge on the jaw b, although it would be preferable to lift the leaves at both sides. In the form shown in Fig. 3' the roller serves as an antifriction member only and the separation of the leaves is effected by drawing the wedge on the jaw b between the leaves. In the forms shown in Figs. 4 to 7 the jaw b is made in the form of a separate jawpiece, which may or may not be provided with a wedge on its end, depending upon whether a wedge-like roller is used. A screw-bolt g is threaded into the upturned end of the yoke and passes through-a slot it in the jaw-piece. The jaw-piece is provided on its bottom with a longitudinal channel z' which lits over the top of the upturned end of the yoke to prevent the jawpiece from rotating on the up-turned end. In the formvshown in Fig. 7 the contacting surfaces of the channel and up-turned end are milled to prevent sliding when the bolt g is tightened on the jaw-piece. It is evident that these forms provide a simple structure that may be readily adjusted to springs of various Widths.

This lever and cam action leaf spring separator possesses an important advantage over the screw action separators in that it can be operated very much quicker.

`What I claim is:

1. A leaf spring separator, comprising a. yoke having a jaw at one end for engaging against the spring, and a lever pivoted at the other end of the yoke and carrying a roller journaled eccentrieally to the lever pivot and having a wedge-like periphery, the said lever and roller being arranged to and provided with a roller eccentrically 19 Journaled with respect to the pivoting of the ',lever and adapted to secure an anti-friction bearing of the lever-:upon lthe spring.

A leaf spring separator, having in com'- bin'atio'n7 a yoke provided with a jaw' at one yoke and having a cam-like action upon the spring, and a stop attached Ato said lever and arranged to stop the lever when it has just. passed its dead center in its operation 2,0 upon'the spring. f l Y 4. A leail spring separator, having in combination; a yoke provided at one end with aja-W, having a v'vedge, a lever pivoted on the other'end of the yoke, and a roller journaled 25* on the lever eccentrically to the Apivoting of the lever and provided with a wedge-like Perphery- 5. -A lea' spring separator Ycomprising a yoke,v an, adjustable slottedjaW-piece secured 3 to. oneend of the yoke, a threadedbolt pa'ssf ing through the slot of the jaw-piece into the yoke end for securing-the jaw-piece tothe yoke end, a lever pivoted to the other end of Y the yoke and provided with a cam-like sur- 35 face for engaging the spring.

6. .Af-leaf' spring separator comprising a -end, a lever pivoted at 4the other end of the,

yoke, a Vscrew-bolt threaded into one end of the yoke, a slotted jaw-piece adjustably setion of the jaw-piece, a .scre\v-bolt threaded into the 11p-turned end and passing through the slot for 'adjustably securing the avv-piece 50 at various positions on the 11p-turned' end, and a lever pivoted to the other end of the yoke and provided vvitli a cam'surface for engaging the spring.

8. A leaf separating device for leaf |55` springs provided with a prying member in the form of a Wheel having a sharp periph` eral edge, and means for bodily moving the said wheel to engage the edge thereof by rolling contact with adjacent leaves to 60 pry the saine open.

9. A leaf separating device for leaf springs provided with a support, a lever fulcrumed on the said support, and a prying Wheel journaled on the s'aid lever, the axis 65 of the Wheel being eccentric to the ulcrum of the said lever. y

In testimony whereof, I sign this speciication in the presence of a witness.

n .FREDERICK KNOVVLSON.

Witness:

STUART C. BARNES. 

